Turnabout Twelve
by pocketcucco
Summary: A collection of twelve AU Edgeworth/Phoenix oneshots inspired by the 12 Fics community on LJ.
1. Hunger

**Author's Note: **FYI, I was basing these oneshots (all written using themes from the 12 Fics community on LiveJournal) on a fanfiction idea I had in which Edgeworth is a defense attorney and Phoenix is already an ex-attorney hobo accused of murder (Edgeworth defends him in court, relationship development, etc). Ema Skye from the first game is his assistant (think Maya's role in the first three games and Trucy's role in the fourth installment). I'm not sure when/if I'll write the actual AU fanfiction, but here are some scenarios...

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Hunger_

By the time Miles Edgeworth finished his work at his law office – Edgeworth and Co., where his father had gotten his start as a defense lawyer and Edgeworth later got his first job as an attorney at law – it was past eight and he had not stopped to rest (or eat) since noon when he allowed himself a lunch break. Of course, Ema had been no help at all; she spent most of the afternoon snacking on some food her older sister Lana picked up for her when she went out of the country.

'_Wright had damn well have kept out of my fridge._' Edgeworth thought bitterly, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as he thought of the homeless ex-attorney currently renting out one of the rooms in his spacious, two-story house. Of course, Phoenix had his quirks – he was incredibly honest, albeit somewhat laid-back – but he had a sharp mind and a knack for helping Edgeworth from time to time.

At the moment, however, he had little to no tolerance for Phoenix's habit of raiding the fridge at the most inconvenient times.

The red convertible pulled up the driveway and Edgeworth flicked the switch that opened the garage door – the clattering gears would hopefully be a good warning alarm for Phoenix, if he was, in fact, eating the last of the leftover pasta that Edgeworth had been craving for the past two hours.

Or rifling through the deli drawer, he thought as his stomach growled in protest. One wrong step today and he knew without a doubt that Phoenix would be out on the street again tonight.

The inside of the house was unusually quiet – Edgeworth was growing accustomed to arriving home to find Phoenix half-asleep in front of the blaring television, watching old sitcom reruns or scanning the news channels.

"Wright?" he called uneasily, trying in vain to stave off his mounting feelings of apprehension. Just what was that suspicious hobo up to?

The kitchen was fully lit and smelled of subtle salt and soy; Edgeworth could feel his body giving out from hunger. He set his briefcase on the floor and entered the adjacent dining room, raising an eyebrow with amusement as he saw two bowls of instant cup ramen sitting on the table, still steaming.

"Ema told me you weren't coming back until later tonight, so I thought you might appreciate a hot meal." Phoenix announced. Edgeworth looked up and saw him standing on the opposite side of the table, hands stuffed in the pockets of his gray hoodie as he rocked back and forth casually on the balls of his feet.

"A hot meal? What are you, my housewife?" Edgeworth questioned.

"Nah, I'd have put more effort into the meal if I was your wife."

"So I see...instant noodles sounds like something Gumshoe would have cooked up."

"Well..." Phoenix smirked, taking his hands out of his pockets as he pulled back one of the wooden chairs and sat down, lounging comfortably as he picked up the silver fork beside the bowl and stirred the watery ramen. "I can cook, but you don't have much on hand."

"I haven't had time to go out to the store all week." Edgeworth replied as he seated himself, poking at the limp noodles with the point of his fork before stabbing a few. "It's been a busy week."

"Every week's a busy week." Phoenix pointed out through a mouthful of salty noodles. "You'd think with Ema's help around the office you'd actually get something done."

"Ema? Help? She only offers to do something if it involves forensic science or luminol fluid."

"Eh, I guess that's true."

Edgeworth took a tentative bite of the ramen, chewing thoughtfully as he watched Phoenix swirl his noodles with the fork before eating another mouthful.

If someone were looking through his dining room window at that second, they _would _be mistaken for a couple.

But did he honestly have a problem with that?

Phoenix looked up from his bowl and saw Edgeworth staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing, Wright. I was just thinking."

"About this delicious meal I worked so hard to prepare?"

"No, nothing that trivial."

Phoenix rolled his eyes, "I slaved over the stove for fifteen entire minutes; instant ramen isn't easy to make, you know. Especially two bowls at once!"

"I'm sure it's a trifling chore." Edgeworth agreed sarcastically. "All childish humor aside...thank you."

"You're welcome...dear." Phoenix replied, deciding to humor him.

"Call me by that name again and I'll kick you back out on the streets where you belong."

"Whatever you say, Edgey."

"You're asking for it."

"Maybe."

Edgeworth sighed exasperatedly and shook his head, "Why do I bother?"

"Because you _care_." Phoenix replied slyly.

"It would be no problem for me to just open the door and send you out right now."

"I know, but if you really wanted me out, you would have kicked me out ages ago."

Edgeworth turned his attention back to the ramen in front of him; Phoenix was right, as usual.

"Just eat your noodles and stop trying to think." Phoenix said, jabbing his fork in Edgeworth's direction. "Since being an attorney is _such_ hard work-"

"Oh, and being a rag-tag, homeless bum who sleeps on the couch like a dog is much harder?"

"Who would cook such excellent, luxurious meals for you? I can't see you with a wife, Edgeworth. That's why I hang around."


	2. Addiction

**Author's Note:** Besides having to write a theme about 'addiction', I was also asked to add the line "I wish I knew how to quit you"...

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Addiction_

_Click, click, click._

Edgeworth pulled a pillow over his head, burying his face beneath the feathery shield with the false hope that he could block out the rhythmic, frustrating din coming from the nearby computer room.

_Click, click, click._

The light tap of the mouse resonated with an unnatural intensity throughout the dark, quiet house. Edgeworth had only been able to put up with Phoenix's recent computer card game addiction because when he returned home from a long day at the office, he was too tired to care.

Saturday, however, had been one of his rare days off and he had been putting up with the clicking for hours on end.

_Click, click, click._

"You're supposed to drag that card here..." Edgeworth had told Phoenix earlier that day when he strolled casually by the computer room, praying silently that Phoenix would relinquish the machine if only for a half hour.

"I know what I'm doing..." he muttered, rubbing his rough chin. "Drag this heart here..."

Every few minutes, Edgeworth would hear what sounded like a vehement curse coming from the computer room; if only Phoenix followed his careful, calculated instructions...

"You're an ace at poker, Wright. Why so horrible with solitaire?"

"I'm not horrible, the computer hates me."

"...Right."

Now it was nearly one o'clock in the morning and Edgeworth had just about had it with the incessant clicking of the mouse. He threw the pillow off from his head and stumbled out of bed, just barely slipping on his slippers before he trudged groggily down the hall, silently going through his mental list of various methods of shutting off a computer without the use of a bat or other heavy object.

'_Maybe I can use Wright's head..._' he thought venomously before turning the corner.

Phoenix still sat in front of the computer, his haggard face awash in the bleach-white glow of the computer screen. He still stared intently at the screen, completely unaware of Edgeworth's menacing presence.

In a record five seconds Edgeworth crossed the room, flipped the switch on the computer tower, and debated on making a break for the hall before Phoenix knew what hit him.

Phoenix stared at the suddenly blank screen for several seconds, blinking with confusion as his eyes adjusted to the abrupt lack of artificial light. He looked up at Edgeworth for a moment, and frustration suddenly crossed his usually passive face.

"I was in the middle of a poker game!" he said, jumping to his feet. "What was that for?!"

"I finally get a day off and you manage to waste an entire twenty-four hours sitting in front of a computer playing these stupid games." Edgeworth said calmly, folding his arms over his chest. "Take a break for a while, will you?"

Phoenix's fierce demeanor suddenly shifted and he broke into a mocking smile, "What, now you're jealous that I'm not spending enough time with _you_?"

Edgeworth twitched slightly, "That's not what I meant, Wright."

"All right, I'll hold off on the computer games during your days off." Phoenix said cordially, ignoring Edgeworth's arrogant tone. "There's no need to be envious of a machine."

"I'm not jealous of the computer, I'm just trying to get a decent night's sleep without you clattering away in here."

"I'd only go cold turkey for you, Edgey." Phoenix said, shaking his head with a smirk. "But, then again..._you're _the one who has an addiction problem."

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"'Oh, Wright,'" Phoenix said, imitating Edgeworth's tone, "'I wish I knew how to quit you!'"

"...I swear to God, one day you're going to go too far and I'm going to kick you out to the dirty street where the police found you."

"You've said that dozens of times and not once have you ever done it."

"Just wait, one day-"

"It's the _addiction _you have to my infectious personality, Edgey." Phoenix interrupted him; he looked completely serious, but Edgeworth could still detect a faint note of humor in his voice. "And you're not planning on quitting anytime soon."


	3. Lottery

**A/N: **Since the deadline for the next 12 Fics entry was coming up, I decided to make this installment Valentine's Day themed. And Pess (the direct kanji translation of the name is Pesu) is a dog that the Japanese producers of Ace Attorney made up themselves--they decided that if anything happened to Pess, Edgeworth would be devastated. I thought it would be fun to implement Pess into the _Turnabout Twelve _collection.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Gykatuen Saiban/Ace Attorney_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Lottery_

Edgeworth knew that something was wrong the minute he stepped into the house and caught sight of the half-empty dog food bag by the garage door. Either Phoenix had finally gone off the deep end, or...

"You bought a dog."

Phoenix proudly held up the small, wriggling brown puppy. "I bought _you _a dog, Edgeworth."

"Do I look like someone who needs a dog?" Edgeworth could barely contain his growing frustration. It was a cute puppy, he couldn't deny that—but he had no time for animals because of his job, and he had little interest in owning a pet.

"I won a small lottery earlier today." Phoenix set the puppy on the floor and pulled several tickets from the pocket of his hoodie. Edgeworth watched the dog with mild distaste, silently praying that the puppy wouldn't mess on the floor as it waddled into the kitchen. "I was coming back to the house when I saw the dog and thought you'd like one."

"Your sentiment is...appreciated, but I honestly-"

Phoenix picked the puppy back up and thrust it into Edgeworth's arms. '_Well_,' the defense attorney thought, looking down at the squirming bundle of fur, '_maybe Ema's interested in taking a dog._'

"You always look so irritable and lonely all the time, so I thought this little guy would make a good friend," Phoenix said, patting the dog's head. "Besides, you'll need _someone _to keep you company once I've left."

For a moment, Edgeworth felt as if he had swallowed a brick. "You're leaving...?"

"No, no, I never said that! Geez, why do you look so scared all of a sudden?"

"I'm not."

Phoenix shook his head, smiling jokingly. "I was just saying, the dog reminded me of you so I picked him up."

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "How does he remind you of me?"

"Well, he's..." Phoenix paused for a moment, looking the dog over once more. "He has your hair color?"

"What a waste of money. Now I know why you're a bum."

"I didn't spend _all _of my money...yet."

Edgeworth looked down at the puppy, then towards the bag of dog food, the assortment of chew toys on the floor, and the stacks of cup noodle packets on the kitchen counter. Phoenix followed his gaze and laughed nervously.

"It was a two for a dollar deal, I couldn't pass it up. Besides, you like it when I make you cup noodles for dinner, don't you?"

"Don't press your luck, Wright."

Edgeworth set the dog back on the floor and knelt down to clean up the toys someone—Phoenix, no doubt—had scattered across the living room. The puppy bounded over and grabbed the plastic bone from his hand, wagging his tail as he flopped away.

"He likes you already, see?" Phoenix pressed, grinning widely. "So what do you want to name him?"

Edgeworth had to pause for a moment and think. He had never owned a dog before—his mother had been allergic so he was never allowed a pet. He never fantasized about owning a dog, either, so he hadn't come up with any suitable animal names. Phoenix stared at him questioningly, awaiting his answer.

"Pess," he replied confidently after a long, thoughtful silence.

"Pess? Why not Phoen-"

"I already told you, Wright, don't press your luck."

"Okay, okay." Phoenix slumped to the floor and took one of the dog toys from Edgeworth's hands. "C'mon, Pess."

Edgeworth watched the two with mild interest, suddenly realizing how tired he felt. It hadn't been a particularly productive day at the office—it was Valentine's Day and Ema had taken it upon herself to decorate the office with red and pink paper and ribbons. Before she left that evening—inevitably leaving Edgeworth with the job of tearing down the paper (which, he admitted, was a decent outlet for stress relief)—she left a candy heart on his desk.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mr. Edgeworth!" she had said, smiling impishly as she skipped out of the office. The words 'Be Mine' were emblazoned in red sugar on the purple surface of the small heart. Edgeworth had sighed and placed it in his pocket at the time without giving it a second thought.

Now he took it out again and held it in the palm of his hand, allowing himself a smirk as he looked over the candy and realized how silly it was. Why did people give each other candy hearts on Valentine's Day, anyway? If they had something that important to say, why couldn't they-

"Who gave you that, Edgey?"

Edgeworth looked up, his brief reverie shattered, and saw Phoenix staring at him curiously, motioning towards the purple candy heart in his hand.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your tone, Wright?"

"Me? Jealous? Of course not. Besides, _I _gave you a dog, not some piece of candy. That shows that I care about you more."

Edgeworth leaned over and threw a rubber ball across the floor. Pess yelped and chased after it, tripping over his clumsy paws in his haste to catch the ball.

"True, but no dog is ever free. There are the medical expenses, food, toys..." As he listed off the things he would need to care for Pess, Edgeworth felt another twinge of annoyance.

"I can help take care of him."

"You? Wright, you can barely afford to take care of yourself, let alone a dog."

"Pess can eat cup noodles and sleep on your bed with you. That takes care of food and shelter."

"...I'm not letting that dog on my bed."

Phoenix smirked, "Give it one night. I'm willing to bet the remainder of my winnings that Pess will be on your pillow by tomorrow morning."


	4. Hot Water

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Hot Water_

Even from the living room, Edgeworth could hear the hiss of boiling water over the dull hum of the television. He sighed and flipped the page of the newspaper; even though it was a weekend and he didn't have to go to the office, it seemed that Phoenix would be cooking dinner for him. Again.

There was no doubt in his mind that the main course was a bowl of salty cup noodles.

Pess trotted into the living room, carrying a mouthful of noodles. The brown puppy stopped at Edgeworth's side and jumped onto his lap, wagging his tail excitedly when his master didn't rebuke him.

Edgeworth reached down and patted the dog's head. He _was _starting to get attached to the pet, but of course he didn't want Phoenix to see that and gloat about being right. Not only did Edgeworth hate being proven wrong, but he hated having to admit he was wrong as well, especially to that good for nothing-

"Nearly done!" Phoenix called from the kitchen. Now Edgeworth could hear him stirring something in the pot of warm water.

Several minutes passed and Edgeworth continued to read the newspaper, occasionally petting Pess's head or looking up when an interesting headline appeared on the news. He had to smile to himself when the highlights of his most recent trial appeared onscreen. Of course, he had successfully proven his client innocent and was proud to chalk up yet another victory.

A sudden call from the kitchen startled him back into the present. "OUCH!"

Edgeworth jumped to his feet, dropping the newspaper from his hand and sending Pess flying to the floor with a sharp yelp. "What happened, Wright?! Are you okay?"

Phoenix stumbled into the living room, holding up his right hand. The skin was tinged pink and red. "I accidentally spilled the pot of hot water," he said sheepishly.

"Why do you always look so calm when you do something stupid and get hurt?" Edgeworth asked, crossing the room with a disgruntled sigh. He took Phoenix's hand in his and examined it carefully. "Hmm, I'll get a cold rag and put it over the skin...that'll help for the burn."

He expected another witty retort from Phoenix, but the man didn't reply. Edgeworth looked up and realized that their faces were close. _Really _close.

Phoenix leaned forward. Edgeworth could nearly count the whiskers growing on his scraggly chin.

"Hey, Edgey?"

Edgeworth felt his face go uncharacteristically hot; he winced inwardly, wondering what happened to his usually calm, cool demeanor. "Wh-What?"

Phoenix moved closer still; now Edgeworth could feel his warm breath on his face. "Is this the closest you've ever been to another man?"

He swallowed past a lump in his throat. "Well..."

Phoenix suddenly drew back and laughed, "Sorry to get your hopes up!"

Edgeworth's embarrassment (and God knows what other emotions) was quickly replaced by anger. "Wright-!"

"What were you expecting me to do?" Phoenix asked teasingly, leaning forward again. "Besides, if someone saw us, your career as a defense attorney would be ruined. I'm sure you don't want something like that."

Edgeworth sighed again and reassumed his forcefully calm composure. "It's the middle of the night. No one's going to come looking through the windows. Especially if the curtains are closed."

"So you're saying you _wanted _me to-"

"I said nothing of the sort!"

Phoenix smiled slyly, replacing his hands in the pockets of his gray hoodie. "I wasn't aware you swung in that direction, Edgey. Interesting."

Edgeworth forced himself to stay calm. '_Don't throw him out, it would only be bad for society._'

And, the truth was, he doubted he could bring himself to throw Phoenix out of his house at this point. Unfortunately, Phoenix was aware of this.

Phoenix grinned and threw his arm around Edgeworth's shoulders. "Come on, let's go eat dinner."


	5. Greed

**Author's Note: **If I was actually going to write the fanfiction based on this AU idea (I'm still undecided), then this would be one of the turning points in the plot. I don't think I'm actually going to get into Apollo Justice spoilers in the next few oneshot installments, so if you haven't played/finished the game, don't worry.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Ace Attorney/Gyakuten Saiban_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Greed_

After Edgeworth pulled up the front drive and parked safely in his garage, he finally allowed himself to fall apart. He leaned forward, placing his fingers against his temples as he let out a string of mild obscenities. It had been an awful day at the office; his assistant, Ema, had been out sick on the day he needed her most.

Surprisingly, the thought of having to go inside and face Phoenix didn't seem all that bad. In fact, for the first time in a while, Edgeworth found himself _wanting _to go inside and see him. He knew that Phoenix would probably be relaxing on the sofa, flipping aimlessly through channels. When he saw the unsuppressed anger on Edgeworth's face, he'd get up and ask him what was wrong, fix him some coffee and a bowl of those frustratingly salty cup noodles, and chatter away to take his mind off the trouble.

With those fantasies running through his tired mind, Edgeworth stepped out of his red convertible and went inside the house.

The first thing he noticed was the almost total darkness inside. Phoenix almost never left lights off—he usually had one or two on downstairs while he was watching television or messing around with the computer. Edgeworth took a few tentative steps inside, looking cautiously around each corner, just in case Phoenix had some dirty trick up his sleeve.

"Wright?" he called, almost forcing himself to sound calm. His nerves were already frayed from his day of torture at the office; he wasn't in the mood for Phoenix's games.

Something scratched incessantly at the glass door leading into the backyard. Edgeworth set his briefcase on the floor next to the living room and walked carefully to the back door, pulling off his jacket and setting it on the wall peg as he did so. He was surprised to see Pess outside, whining loudly when he saw his master. Phoenix _never _left Pess outside, unless he went out for several hours.

He slid the door open and the dog rushed inside, wagging his tail as circled around the kitchen, yelping excitedly before Edgeworth could quiet him.

'_Where could Wright have gone...?_' he asked himself, turning slowly around the empty room. The kitchen was unnaturally clean, which meant that Phoenix hadn't been in there recently. He usually left things a haphazard mess; empty noodle cups were often strewn across the counter with empty bottles of grape juice (Phoenix's favorite beverage, Edgeworth had noted).

His dark eyes finally rested on the piece of paper that had been set aside on the table. He picked it up and almost instantly recognized the messy, handwritten scrawl: "_Went out to have dinner with Kristoph at work. I'll be back late, don't wait for me. Nick._"

Edgeworth crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the nearby wastebasket. It really _was _turning out to be a miserable day, he thought, as he pulled leftovers from the fridge. He set a frozen dinner in the microwave and forcefully punched the buttons on the control face.

Pess trotted nervously across the kitchen floor, tail drooping and head lowered dejectedly as though he could sense his master's irritation. Edgeworth knelt down and patted his head reassuringly. He couldn't explain the unnatural feeling of frustration he felt welling up in the back of his mind, threatening to flood over with each passing second. His fists began to clench and Pess backed away, whining lightly.

'_It couldn't be..._' Edgeworth thought, relaxing his hands and forcing himself to take several deep breaths. Phoenix had known Kristoph since his attorney's badge was taken away several years ago, after a certain 'incident' that made headlines for weeks. So why was Edgeworth feeling...jealous?

'_I'm only angry because he left _me _to cook dinner and never told me he was going out for the evening,_' he consoled himself, taking the food from the microwave. He stabbed a piece of soggy chicken with a fork, staring at it distastefully. Why did the food usually look appetizing on the box, but it always turned out so gruesome after it defrosted?

Edgeworth sat on the couch and slowly ate the food, giving up after several bites when he realized that the chicken tasted just as bad as it looked. He took the remote and flipped lazily through the channels, unable to find a suitable show to watch. He never watched television in the first place and had no favorite shows, so he eventually settled with the late news.

The cell phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated and played the Steel Samurai theme; he frowned, realizing that Phoenix had been playing with his phone's ringtone again. He reached in his pocket and pulled the phone out, deftly flipping it open with one hand. The number on the caller ID was protected.

"Hello?" He struggled to keep the frustration out of his tone when he answered.

"Oh, uhm, hey Edgey." A familiar voice came on the other line, laughing nervously. Edgeworth shot up on the sofa, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he recognized Phoenix's voice.

"Wright?! Where the hell-"

"Long story. I'm in jail right now."

He suddenly wondered if now he was just having a long nightmare. "...What?"

"Like I said, long story. Listen, I really need to talk to you right now. Could you come down to the detention center?"

"Only after you explain. Why were you out with Kristoph without telling me beforehand?"

"You're not my husband, Edgeworth. Or is that jealousy I'm picking up? You're a lot more greedy than I thought."

"Cut the crap, Wright." Edgeworth wasn't in the mood for his games. "Why are you in jail?"

"There was an accident down at the Bowl. Wrong place at the wrong time." He sighed exasperatedly and Edgeworth softened; he could hear the exhaustion in Phoenix's voice as he spoke. "Could you please come down here? I'm gonna need a good defense attorney to get out of this one."

"Wright..." Edgeworth paused for a moment, slowly absorbing the information. "All right. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Thanks a lot," Phoenix replied, his tone instantly brightening with Edgeworth's promise. "Oh, and one more thing—don't beat up Kristoph if you run into him, okay? I know you're jealous and greedy when it comes to who I decide to hang out with, but you know you're always my favorite-"

Edgeworth had already hung up.


	6. Pets

**Author's Note: **I know Gumshoe probably wouldn't be a good friend of Edgeworth's if he was a defense attorney, but...I always found his admiration for Edgeworth kind of cute.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Gyakuten Saiban_/_Ace Attorney_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Pets_

Edgeworth checked his watch one more time, pressing his foot against the gas pedal of his convertible. The detention center's visitor room was only going to be open for another half-hour.

Pess sat at his side, wagging his tail incessantly as they pulled up to the almost uncomfortably familiar parking lot. Edgeworth had been there himself from time to time when he had to visit imprisoned clients before a big case. Although this situation was no different—he _was _going to visit his newest client—he had personal reasons for wanting to go as well.

The trial of Phoenix Wright was taking longer than normal to organize, giving Edgeworth ample opportunity to prepare his own case to defend his friend. He was confident in his skill as a defense attorney—after all, he was one of the most celebrated attorneys in the States—but he still had lingering doubts as the evidence against them mounted.

The detention center parking lot was only occupied by a few police cars; most of the people who had been visiting had already left for the evening. Pess gave an excited yelp, placing his paws on the dashboard of the car as the convertible came to rest in a vacant parking space. Edgeworth clipped a leash on the dog's collar and let him jump out.

The few officers they ran into while entering the detention center didn't dare challenge Edgeworth for breaking one of the establishment rules, thinking that he had probably pulled a few strings with a higher-up to be able to bring his dog in.

Edgeworth only smirked as he led Pess through the various hallways and dimly lit corridors; all he had done was ask Detective Gumshoe for permission to bring the dog to visit a client. Gumshoe, as usual, was all-too eager to impress the defense attorney.

Pess barked a loud greeting as they entered the visitor's room and saw Phoenix behind a thick Plexiglas window. Edgeworth kept a firm grip on the leash as he sat down across from his friend, who was still grinning solemnly.

"Hey! I was wondering when you'd finally make time in your busy schedule to come visit me again, Edgey," Phoenix said slyly. He smiled and tapped on the glass as Pess stood on his hind legs, tail wagging wildly.

"I've been preparing our case this entire time," Edgeworth replied, sighing exasperatedly. "You really got yourself in a mess this time, Wright. Besides, I thought seeing Pess would cheer you up a little."

Phoenix only laughed. "Yeah, I know. Thanks again for taking the case. Not many attorneys would."

"And for good reason..."

"So..." Phoenix drummed his fingers against the flimsy plastic table on his side of the room, "Did you hear who's going to be the prosecutor in the trial?"

Edgeworth shook his head. He hadn't had time to look into the prosecution team he was going up against; he had been too busy working with his own affairs.

"Franziska von Karma."

Edgeworth swallowed nervously, but kept a cool demeanor. He knew the infamous von Karma family far too well. Manfred von Karma had been a seasoned prosecutor with zero loses until he ran into Phoenix Wright. His daughter, Franziska, was allegedly just as aggressive and haughty as her father had been.

"It'll be tough, but I know we can win this case. Just-"

"Believe in yourself. I've heard you preach that before."

Phoenix's smile widened. "Not that I believe it, but, ah well."

"What happened to 'believe in your clients'?"

"I started questioning that after the case with Engarde..."

"Ah." Edgeworth's reply was curt. He knew all about the Engarde case, and preferred not to mention it.

Pess whined again, pawing the Plexiglas. Phoenix smiled sadly and placed his hand against the window. "Sorry, fella. I can't say hi to you until Edgey gets me out of here."

Edgeworth nearly jumped out of his seat when Pess turned his head and stared at him solemnly with his big brown eyes.

"Heheh, even Pess is supporting you!" Phoenix said teasingly.

Even though Edgeworth sighed, he couldn't help but smile resignedly. "All right. So if I don't show up for the next few days, you'll understand that it's because I'm working to get you an innocent verdict?"

Phoenix folded his arms over his chest, nodding his head with mock sorrow. "Well...I suppose so... Oh! I almost forgot to ask about Trucy!"

"She's fine. She's still in the care of Valant."

"Ah, that's good," Phoenix said, leaning back with a relieved sigh. He spent a lot of time worrying needlessly about his adopted daughter; he didn't have the financial backing to properly care for her, so he often left her with an old friend of her missing father.

Edgeworth fell silent for a moment. Perhaps, after this was all over, he'd offer to let Trucy live with them. She was a cute girl, and old enough to be relatively self-sufficient. Besides, maybe she could finally convince Phoenix to get a job so he could start paying rent...

"I see that look in your eyes, Edgey. I hope you're not thinking weird things about my daughter." Phoenix's playful warning interrupted his thoughts.

Edgeworth sighed. "Let's get you out of jail before you start jumping to conclusions like _that_, Wright."


	7. Procrastination

**Author's Note:** I kind of skipped ahead in this oneshot to a point _after _Phoenix's trial. There wasn't much I could cover during that time, anyway, and I wanted some family fluff... There are still no spoilers for _Apollo Justice_, but several characters from the game will probably start making appearances now.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney._

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Procrastination_

Even with his back turned to the open door of his office, Edgeworth could feel a pair of familiar dark blue eyes boring holes into his head. He felt his fingers tighten around the fountain pen in his hand as he struggled to keep his tone even, calm, and forceful.

Despite this he knew that, just like her adoptive father, Trucy Wright could never be easily dissuaded.

The girl finally noticed his brief lapse in attention and pounced. "Edgey," she said, calling him by the pet name Phoenix often used, "are you done with your work yet?"

Edgeworth twirled his pen around in his fingers, choosing a reply carefully. Although she had never been the sharpest knife in the drawer, Trucy could easily pick through his excuses and find the loopholes she needed. She had an uncanny knack for catching on to others emotions; he had no idea how she did it. Phoenix seemed to have an idea—he was always using Trucy against him to get his way—but he refused to share the secret.

"I'm not going to be finished for a while. I have a lot of paperwork to do," he responded, quickly scrawling out a few more sentences before she could think of a reply.

Trucy was too fast. "Could you take a break for a while? Please?"

"Maybe tomorrow."

He could see her reflection clearly in the glass frame of the photograph stationed at the corner of his neat desk; the girl was pouting now, her hands placed defiantly on her hips. Her silk blue top hat was slanted precariously on the side of her head as she tilted forward, brushing a strand of dark brown hair from her narrowed eyes.

"You've been working all day, and Daddy and me have a surprise for you," she insisted, still glowering as she stood on the tips of her white boots. "You can take a short break just to see it, can't you?"

"Why don't you call your friend Apollo?" Edgeworth felt bad for the boy, but he made a good scapegoat in situations like these.

Trucy sighed sadly. "He's stopped picking up the phone in the office..."

'_Smart kid,_' he admitted silently to himself.

Edgeworth looked down at his piles of paperwork, wordlessly debating on whether it would be worth it or not to stop for the day. He knew that even once Trucy and Phoenix's trick was done, they probably had plans to keep him from returning to his office. It was a tactic they had used against him many times in the past, and it seldom failed. Even if he sometimes enjoyed their little magic shows, Edgeworth absolutely hated procrastinating from important work. He wanted to get everything done so he had time to focus on other more important things.

"Edgey." Trucy leaned over his shoulder, resting her head on the crook of her arm as she stared at him imploringly. Now she was smiling her cutest grin, blue eyes sparkling as she cocked her head to the side. "Please? Just a short break, we promise."

"Edgey!" Now Phoenix was chiming in from the hallway; Edgeworth saw him poke his head around the corner.

He knew there was no wiggling out of it now.

Edgeworth sighed, placing his pen on the desk. Trucy jumped back and threw a fist in the air; another easy victory had been secured.

Phoenix took him by one shoulder and Trucy grabbed his free arm. "You'll enjoy this! We're going to make Pess levitate!" she said excitedly, leading him to the living room.

"What have you been doing with my dog, Wright?" Edgeworth's frown turned into a sour glare.

Phoenix only laughed, keeping a solid grin. "It's a magic trick! A magician can't reveal their secrets, right, Trucy?"

His daughter nodded vigorously. "That's right! We can't tell you how we did the trick, Edgey!"

Edgeworth sighed, suddenly wishing he could lock himself up in his office for a few hours. He hated when the two Wrights would gang up on him; somehow, they almost always won.

Trucy and Phoenix led him into the disasterous living room—it had never been the same since he allowed the girl to move in with them several weeks before. Her props and magic trick sets had been put together haphazardly and were congregated rather chaotically in every corner of the formerly spacious room. Combined with Pess's dog toys and Phoenix's odd trinkets, Edgeworth's home was beginning to resemble the children's section of a messy department store.

"All right! Let's begin!" Trucy said, adjusting her silk hat and smoothing her blue cape. Phoenix sat down beside Edgeworth, sidling closer to the defense attorney as Trucy set up the supplies for the brief show.

Edgeworth settled down and made himself comfortable—with Phoenix so closely beside him, maybe the next few hours wouldn't be so bad after all.


	8. Storms

**Author's Note:** Per request there's more Edgeworth/Phoenix and Trucy family fluff in this chapter. There's also a minor reference to the second case in _Apollo Justice_ and references to the card game, Uno. Huh, only four more oneshots after this one.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Storms_

'_Nearly done_.'

Edgeworth typed the last few paragraphs of his report, ignoring the dull patter of rain against his office window. He could hear Trucy pacing the hallway behind him—she didn't like thunder and lightning storms, but she wasn't childish enough to be afraid of them. He wondered where Phoenix was—couldn't he entertain her for a while so she wasn't bothering him?

Lightning struck again outside the window and he heard a sharp crack. Edgeworth paused for a moment, pulling back the window curtains. The rain was falling more heavily now, illuminated briefly by another lightning strike and accompanied by a roar of thunder. Pess barked from somewhere in the back of the house, only to be quietly shushed by Phoenix.

The lamp on his desk flickered several times and suddenly shut off. The other electronics in the room—the overhead lamp, the hallway lights, and the small LCD clock nearby—followed in suit.

Edgeworth felt his heart skip a few beats when his computer clicked, the screen going dark as it shut down. His mind began to race, trying to remember the last time he had remembered to save his important document.

The ominous crash of dishes in the kitchen didn't even register as he cursed loudly, slapping the palm of his hand against the desk.

"I told you to invest in a laptop. It would still be on right now," Phoenix said smugly, leaning past the threshold. "And watch your language around my daughter."

"Shut up, Wright." It was all Edgeworth could manage past the haze of frustration.

"The TV isn't working and nothing's turning on! Did the power go out?" Trucy said, biting her lip awkwardly as she returned to Phoenix's side. She had a guilty look on her face and was holding a small shard of glass in her hand. "Sorry, when the lights went off I couldn't see and I tripped over Pess when I was putting dishes away…"

Edgeworth took a deep breath, massaging his temple with one hand. "It's fine, just make sure you clean it up…"

Trucy scampered away, smiling briefly when she realized that Edgeworth wasn't going to bother reprimanding her.

"_I _know something fun we can do to pass the time," Phoenix suggested teasingly.

"Good _God_, Wright. Don't get upset with me for profanity if you're going to say something as vulgar as that."

Phoenix laughed, "I didn't mean _that_. You sure have a dirty mind, Edgey."

"What do you expect me to think when you put it like that?"

"Dunno. But I was hoping you were a little more mature. You _are_ an attorney, after all."

"'Mature attorney?' Have you seen Justice lately? Wasn't he carrying girls' panties in his pockets for a while during that one case?"

"True…he's a good kid, though. He works hard. And he kept reminding people that those panties were part of the evidence in the court record."

Trucy skipped back to the room, brandishing a deck of colorful cards. "I know what we can do! Let's play a card game!"

Phoenix smiled, ushering the girl into the office. "Sure! That sounds like fun!"

Edgeworth sighed, but didn't protest. He had nothing else to do, after all—his computer was down and he couldn't drive to the law office anyway. Both Trucy and Phoenix grinned as he sank to the floor, sitting cross-legged across from them.

Trucy shuffled the deck and passed each of them a set of cards. "The name of the game is Uno," she said, giving herself a handful. "First to zero wins!"

"Ooh, I love this game. Edgey always gets frustrated and loses," Phoenix said brightly, eyeing his own hand of cards.

Edgeworth muttered a few inaudible words under his breath and picked up the colored cards Trucy had thrown at him. He bit back a string of curses—they hadn't even started the game and he already had a bad hand.

"There's a first time for everything!" Trucy said, raising her hand. "You might win this time, Edgey!"

"I don't know. He's never won a game of Uno since I moved in. I can't even remember him winning when we were kids."

"Let's get the game started," Edgeworth said irritably, resisting the urge to reach over and punch Phoenix in the face. He didn't want to do anything rash in front of their daughter.

He coughed, mentally correcting himself: _Phoenix's_ daughter.

"I'll go first," Trucy said, throwing down a red card. Phoenix also added a red card to the pile and looked back at his hand.

Edgeworth looked through his cards—he wasn't surprised that he didn't have a red at all. He drew another card from the pile, relived that he got a red on his first try and tossed it down, face-up.

"Aww, a Skip!" Trucy pouted, fanning herself with her cards.

"Stop abusing my daughter, Edgey," Phoenix said as he dropped another one of his cards in the pile, this time switching the color from red to blue. Edgeworth smiled triumphantly—this time he had the right color in his hand.

"Wow, you're actually doing pretty well this time. Must be your lucky day," Phoenix observed, giving him a grin.

"I don't play on luck, Wright. I play with skill."

"Ooh, touché, Mr. Edgeworth. Let's see how this game plays out."

Trucy looked back and forth between her adoptive father and Edgeworth, smiling widely at their exchange. She set her own blue card down.

"Oh, shoot," Phoenix muttered, reaching for the pile of extra cards. He drew one and looked at it, smiling deviously.

"Ha!" he laughed, throwing down a Draw Two. "_And _you miss a turn!"

"Damn you, Wright," Edgeworth muttered, drawing several cards. "Lucky draw."

"So you do admit that this game is based on luck?"

"I never said that."

"Yeah, you just did."

"That's enough, Wright."

Phoenix chuckled under his breath. "Sure, sure, whatever you say…"

The game continued this way for several minutes—Phoenix and Edgeworth vying for first place with Trucy watching innocently from the sidelines, quietly playing—before both men were down to one or two cards. With the game finally in his favor, Edgeworth knew he had a chance of winning this time.

'_Eat your words, Wright_,' he thought, twisting his last card in one hand.

Phoenix glanced at him, smiled good-naturedly, and placed a Reverse card on the floor. "Uno! And your move, Trucy."

"Here you go, Edgey!" she said, throwing a Wild Draw Four into the pile, "Sorry!"

"Wh-What?" He blinked several times, praying that he had misread the words on the card. He hadn't. "Wright, you set me up!"

Phoenix smiled slyly, but said nothing. "You heard the girl, Edgey. But you don't have to draw any cards this time—I won!"

Edgeworth dropped his remaining card on the floor, sighing heavily. He could have won, if only-

"Aww, you don't have to win every time, Edgey," Trucy said, patting his shoulder. "You win every court case anyway!"

"Yeah! That's true," Phoenix said, nodding with agreement. "Defending your client is much more important than winning a card game."

"But just _once _it would be nice…" Edgeworth said, looking absently at his computer. The screen was still black.

Trucy pulled another deck of cards from her pocket, shuffling them in her gloved hands. "I've got it! Let's play poker this time!"

Edgeworth swallowed uneasily, seeing the mirthful exchange of glances between Phoenix and Trucy. There was no way he could win against either of them in poker.


	9. Appointment

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry this took such a long time (two months exactly) to get out--I've been working on several other big writing projects and I was finishing up school stuff. I'm on summer break now so hopefully I can finish _Turnabout Twelve _before I go back.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Appointment_

"Where're you going, Edgey?" Trucy stood at Edgeworth's side, staring at him curiously. She clasped her hands behind her back, tilting her head gently to the side as he pulled his coat over his shoulders.

"An appointment," he replied tersely, glancing over the girl's shoulder to make sure Phoenix wasn't around. '_If he finds out, I'll never hear the end of it_.'

A deep, familiar voice echoed from the other end of the house. "Another doctor's appointment, Edgeworth?"

'_Goddammit._'

Phoenix poked his head around the corner of the kitchen wall, balancing several bowls of salty cup noodles in his arms. "So what did you do this time, rip your finger open with a paper cut? Get carpal tunnel from writing too many reports? Depression?"

"It's a just a regular check-up, Wright," Edgeworth said, putting a hand to his forehead. He could already feel a migraine coming on.

"Ooh, I hate doctors," Trucy murmured, wringing her hands. "That bitter medicine and the sharp needles...! Oh, Edgey, will you have to get shots?"

"Most likely. You usually do at these kinds of visits."

The girl threw her hands over her mouth, a loud gasp escaping between her fingertips. "I always used to have Daddy hold my hand when I got shots. I...I'd go with you to hold your hand, but..."

"I can still go with Edgey to hold his hand while he gets his shots," Phoenix suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Edgeworth frowned. "No. I can go by myself."

"Are you sure? That's brave!" Trucy said, smiling admiringly.

"Oh, he may be now, but he sure wasn't when he was a kid," Phoenix said, placing the bowls of noodles on the table before sauntering into the room.

Edgeworth bit his lip. "Wright..."

"He might be a great crime scene attorney now, but when we were little, he was deathly afraid of two things: blood and needles."

"Oh! So Edgey's just like a normal person, isn't he?" Trucy smiled brightly, glancing at Edgeworth over her shoulder.

"I...wasn't a normal person before...?" the defense attorney tilted his head to the side, arching an eyebrow.

"Edgey hated going to the nurse's office in elementary school. He was always on the verge of tears when we had check-up days," Phoenix continued, ignoring his companion's murderous glare.

"Ooh, I hate those too!" Trucy added, her hands still clenched at her chest. "And then what happened?"

"It looks like Edgey grew up and got over his fear of doctors...or so he wants us to think." Phoenix leaned closer to Edgeworth until their shoulders touched. "Do you not want us to go because we'll be a hassle, or because you're still nervous about needles?"

"I'll be just fine on my own, Wright. I'm old enough to take care of myself."

Phoenix sighed, and turned to his adopted daughter. "Go on ahead and clean things up in the kitchen. You can start eating lunch without me."

Trucy smiled brightly. "Yes, Daddy!" she said, tipping her blue silk hat. "And good luck at your appointment, Edgey!" she added before turning briskly on her heel, walking lightly to the adjacent kitchen.

Phoenix waited until Trucy was out of earshot before he turned to Edgeworth, his smile disappearing. "Are you sure you want to go alone? Trucy's old enough for me to leave her here by herself for an hour or two."

Edgeworth paused, almost stunned by his friend's concern. "I promise I'll be okay, Wright. There's really no need to worry."

Phoenix shook his head. "Nah, I'm going to go anyway. I don't trust you—you're always playing the tough guy."

"Please, Wright-"

"I won't hear another word of it, Edgeworth," Phoenix interrupted, grabbing the car keys from a hook on the wall. He twirled them on his finger, a sly grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "Besides, I want to find out if you have any strange diseases."

Edgeworth grimaced, snatching the keys from Phoenix's grasp. "You can come if you don't do anything that will embarrass me."

"Me, embarrass you?" Phoenix smirked. "I'll be on my best behavior, I promise."

"I don't trust you, to be honest," Edgeworth said, sighing quietly, "but you can come if you'd like."

Phoenix laughed, stuffing his hands in the ragged pockets of his gray jacket. "You won't regret it! I'll even hold your hand when they give you shots, just like I promised."


	10. Road Trip

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Ace Attorney/Gyakuten Saiban_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Road Trip_

"I've got all my stuff packed up, Uncle Edgey!" Trucy's anxious squeal reached the defense attorney's ears from across the hall, rising over the gentle hum of an idle car engine. Edgeworth carefully folded the last of his clothes and placed them gently in the suitcase on his bed, closing the lid and locking it with an audible click.

"I can't wait to visit Uncle Valant for the weekend," Trucy said, poking her head past the open door of his room. The girl wriggled with excitement, hardly able to contain herself. "You and Daddy will have fun on your vacation, too!"

"We're only going out of town for a while," Edgeworth replied tersely, taking the suitcase in his hands. "And it isn't exactly a vacation for the two of us. Your father just wants to visit some old friends of his."

She tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully tapping her chin. "But I thought Daddy said it was a road trip so the two of you could get away and relax for a while..."

Edgeworth sighed. '_Thanks a lot, Wright._'

"Trucy! Edgey! Got everything?" Phoenix peeked around the corner, a wide smile crossing his lips. "We've got to get going!"

"I've got all my stuff!" Trucy announced, holding up a blue bag bursting with luggage. "I'm set to go!"

"Just give me a minute, Wright," Edgeworth replied unenthusiastically, clearly irritated.

Phoenix frowned, placing a hand on Trucy's back. "Go on ahead and put your stuff in the car, okay? We'll be out in a second."

She smiled and nodded vigorously, giving her adoptive father a salute with a white-gloved hand. "Yes, Daddy! But hurry!" she said before running back down the hall.

Phoenix waited until his daughter was out of earshot before he shut the door, folding his arms over his chest. "What's wrong with you lately, Edgeworth? You've been...edgier than normal." His tone was more concerned than annoyed.

"I'm just tired, Wright."

He felt a hand on his shoulder; the grip was firm, but reassuring. "I've known you since we were kids in elementary school, Edgeworth. There's no use lying."

Edgeworth gave another small sigh. "Why are you letting her think that we're...?"

"We're what?"

"Don't play dumb. You know."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, smiling slyly "Ohh, that... What's the harm?"

"She wouldn't be embarrassed by that kind of thing?"

"Of course not. She absolutely adores you, Edgeworth. She'd never be ashamed."

Edgeworth bit the corner of his lip, his arms hanging limp at his sides. "I don't know what kind of effect a relationship would have on my reputation as a defense attorney. You know how quickly rumors travel."

Phoenix chuckled, and Edgeworth was suddenly aware that the man's hand was still resting lightly on his shoulder. "I think you're more embarrassed than anyone else. But really, don't worry—I told her it was a vacation, but we're just going to visit Maya and Pearls, right? There's no shame in that."

"But isn't it sort of like a vacation...?"

"You worry too much, Edgey. Calm down for a bit, okay? Just relax. You really need to take a break every once in a while or you'll get tons of gray hair."

Edgeworth pulled away and sat on the edge of the mattress. "I haven't had a chance to relax in years. Is it really all right leaving the firm for a few days? What if something happens while I'm gone?"

"Lighten up, will you?" Phoenix laughed a bit, perching himself beside Edgeworth. "Things will be just fine. Besides, Trucy's excited about staying with Valant and I'll bet Maya and Pearls are bursting at the seams waiting for us to get there. I wonder if Iris is going to be hanging around, too..."

Edgeworth's breath hitched in his throat; he was surprised to feel a faint twinge of jealousy.

Phoenix smirked, catching on almost immediately. "No need to be greedy again, Edgey. You already know that no one else compares to you."

Edgeworth rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up, Wright."

Phoenix laughed again, taking Edgeworth's hand and pulling him up. "That's enough joking around for now. If we don't hurry, Trucy might die of a heart attack out there. We shouldn't make her wait too long."

Edgeworth shook his head and gathered his suitcase in his arms, following Phoenix out into the hallway. He paused suddenly, his hand resting on the doorknob before he pulled it shut.

"Wright?"

Phoenix stopped in mid-step and turned. "Yeah?"

Edgeworth hesitated for a moment, his hand tensing. "Thank you."

A small smile crossed Phoenix's lips and he held out his hand again. "No problem. Come on, let's get going."


	11. Blind Date

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Ace Attorney/Gyakuten Saiban_.

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Blind Date_

Edgeworth flinched inwardly when felt the strip of thick fabric tug at the back of his head where Phoenix was tying it. He stifled a curse, closing his eyes even though the blindfold obscured his vision. He could already feel a sense of claustrophobia settling in as he leaned against the headrest of his seat, forcing himself to take a deep breath.

"Calm down, Edgey," his friend said calmly. Edgeworth heard Phoenix slide into the driver's seat next to him, sinking into the plush leather with a muffled laugh. There was the familiar click of the key in the ignition, the roar of the engine coming to life, and the dull, smooth clank of the vehicle moving from park to drive. Edgeworth tensed his fingers around his knees as his car moved forward—he only remembered now that Phoenix probably hadn't driven a car himself in years. He always seemed to be walking or riding a bike from place to place—did he even know how to drive?

"Why am I letting you do this to me?" Edgeworth asked in a quiet whisper, more to himself than anyone else.

"Please you like me," Phoenix replied cheerfully. Edgeworth could almost hear the playful smile in his voice.

"Why did you put this damn blindfold on, Wright? Why can't I just see where we're-"

"Because it's a _blind _date. Get it?"

Edgeworth's mouth formed a thin, stressed line. He moved a hand to his forehead, but Phoenix stopped him with a light tap on the wrist. "I should've known. Only you would try to pull a foolish stunt like this."

"Ah, now you sound like Franziska. Don't do that to me again."

Edgeworth's hand moved to untie the blindfold from the back of his head—he felt silly wearing it, and he knew that the other people on the road were probably giving him weird looks. As his fingers brushed against the tight knot hidden beneath his short locks of brown hair, Phoenix reached out again and yanked him back by the elbow. Edgeworth scowled, resisting the urge to punch him in the face; if only he could see it, in any case.

"Have a little patience, will you? It's a short ride, I promise."

"I don't like where this is going, Wright..."

"It's just lunch. We haven't gone out for a meal together in a long time."

"Have we _ever _been out together?"

"Not since our vacation." There was a suggestive note in Phoenix's tone that made Edgeworth shrink back against the cool seat. He opened his eyes again—he had forgotten they were closed—and saw thin rays of yellow-white light filtering through the blindfold.

"Where are we going, Wright?" he asked again, not bothering to disguise the impatience and frustration in his voice.

"I told you, it's a surprise. You'll like it, I think."

"You'd better not be taking me to that damn Bowl, or whatever it's called."

Phoenix laughed a little and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm not taking you to the Bowl this time...too many memories there."

Edgeworth muttered a grunt, but chose not to reply when the two settled into a comfortable silence. Instead he tried to distract himself with the gentle purr of cars around them—he still had no idea where they were going, and being completely blind was beginning to bother him. He heard the whir of an ambulance siren in the distance and shuddered; what if Phoenix crashed into a wall because Edgeworth couldn't tell him how to properly drive? Or what if they smashed into a pole? Or a pedestrian trying to cross the street? Or-

The car suddenly rolled to a shaky stop. Edgeworth lurched forward when Phoenix hit the brake, the seatbelt pressing uncomfortably against his chest and stomach.

"Whoa, whoa!" Phoenix murmured, tapping impatiently on the pedal beneath his feet. Now Edgeworth heard him shift the car back into park as it came to a stop, pulling the keys from the ignition before throwing them in the pocket of his hoodie.

"We're here!" he announced, leaning forward to poke Edgeworth in the side.

Edgeworth grimaced, reaching up to pull the blindfold away. "This had better be-"

Phoenix's hands grabbed his first and Edgeworth gave an involuntary shudder. "Hold on, will you? I'll take that off," Phoenix offered, pulling the blindfold away. Edgeworth squinted at the sudden invasion of light, rubbing his eyes with his still-white-knuckled hands. For a moment, he couldn't see anything when he tried to look beyond the windshield.

"Here you go," Phoenix took his hand and helped him from the car. Edgeworth stumbled slightly, his eyes still adjusting to the bright sun. He looked up at the relatively empty sidewalk ahead, blinking again as he made out the silhouette of a wooden cart and the short, hunched man pulling it.

"...You brought me to a noodle stand?"

Now he could clearly see Phoenix's triumphant smile. "Yep! I told you it would be a good place! I've been getting lunch here for a while, and the noodles are pretty good."

Edgeworth held in another tired grunt. "You can't be serious, Wright."

"You let me make you cup noodles for dinner sometimes. You've never complained before."

Edgeworth shuffled uneasily. "Yes, well..."

Phoenix's innocent grin widened as he took his hand again, leading him to the stand. "This place has the best noodles—even better than my pre-heated cup noodles, if you can believe it. They're kind of salty, but I think you'll still like them. Come on, give it a try!"

"I don't know, Wright." Edgeworth held up his arm, glancing at his watch. "I should probably get back to the office now..."

"It's a Sunday. You don't need to work. I doubt even Ema would want to hang around the office on a nice day like this."

"There are still things to be done. I don't need to waste my time at a ridiculous noodle stand."

Phoenix's smile slowly faded to a scowl. "You're not 'wasting your time' if you're here with me. I spent a lot of time trying to decide where to take you for your surprise blind date."

Edgeworth rolled his eyes in spite of himself. "It's apparent you put a lot of time and effort into deciding this place..."

Phoenix sighed quietly, reassuming his positive visage. He linked his arm around Edgeworth's and drew him closer. "We're already here and I'm hungry. We can share a bowl, if you'd like."

Edgeworth opened his mouth to protest again, but stopped himself when he saw Phoenix's earnest grin. He bit his lip and lowered his head, massaging his temples with his fingers. "All right, fine. This will be the first and last time I ever eat here. But I have to get back to the house in half an hour—I have a lot of paperwork to finish for my next case."

Phoenix gently nudged his arm. "Great! I knew you'd give in eventually. Now, let's see…I really hope you don't mind the salt. There's a _lot _of it. But we could always share a drink, too-"

"Just shut up, Wright."


	12. Death

**Author's Note: **Yay, I'm finally done! I didn't think it would take nine months, but...it feels nice to be done with the collection. I just wanted to thank everyone who's taken the time to read these oneshots, and a special thanks to everyone who's commented as well. Thank you so much! I don't like the quality of some of these, but...I hope you enjoyed them nonetheless. Edgeworth/Phoenix is a really fun pairing to write.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Ace Attorney/Gyakuten Saiban._

_Turnabout Twelve  
__Death_

Edgeworth paced wordlessly up and down the polished hall, his fist clenched tightly around the case file in his hand. Phoenix's harried call to his law office had been so sudden that he hadn't known about the document in his grasp until he was standing in the main lobby of the veterinarian hospital.

Someone placed a warm, reassuring hand on his shoulder. Edgeworth turned slowly and saw Phoenix's sympathetic frown; it nearly sickened him. Edgeworth pulled away.

"I'm really sorry, Miles," Phoenix said, jogging to catch up with the defense attorney. "I'm really, really sorry."

Edgeworth ignored him, his dull, brown eyes locked on the stoic walls ahead.

"I didn't mean for it to happen. Please, Miles…"

Edgeworth paced back up the corridor, wincing visibly at the whine of a dog from the room beside him.

Phoenix sighed. "I didn't mean for it to…" He stopped himself, biting the corner of his lip before he could force himself to continue. "Pess, he just…just, got off the leash and started running into the street-"

"That's enough, Wright," Edgeworth interrupted, his tone bitter and resentful. "Your explanation over the phone was more than enough."

Phoenix's hand slid off his shoulder, hanging limp at his side. Edgeworth turned away and lowered himself onto a plastic bench on the opposite side of the hall, resting his head in his hands. '_Pull through, Pess…pull through…_'

He felt the flimsy bench sag and knew Phoenix was sitting next to him, but he couldn't bring himself to protest. He didn't feel up to it anymore; his strength was completely drained, and all he could do was wait.

Sit and wait while his dog suffered only a few rooms away.

"I guess I can't really apologize anymore," Phoenix murmured, his voice unusually rough. "I…didn't even see that car coming. Pess was just…running."

Edgeworth made no effort to retort. He felt himself slump, his head dangerously close to his knees.

'_Where's that vet…?_'

Phoenix placed his hand on Edgeworth's back and patted him awkwardly. The rhythmic motion was almost comforting, and for a moment Edgeworth almost forgot about the claustrophobic white walls, the uncomfortable bench, and the subtle scent of cat litter.

A door opened quietly from the other side of the hall. Edgeworth could hear a new pair of footsteps approach them, but he was too tired to look up. He could only assume it was the vet watching his dog, but if it wasn't…well, he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

Edgeworth gave a hushed sigh when he heard the somber tone of the veterinary doctor. "Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright?"

Phoenix jumped to his feet, his hand moving away from Edgeworth's back. "How's Pess?"

The doctor paused uneasily. Edgeworth's fingers dug deeper into his forehead and he gave a quiet groan.

"I'm sorry. We did what we could, but…"

Phoenix muttered a curse under his breath. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Wright," the doctor repeated solemnly. "My condolences, Mr. Edgeworth."

The doctor stepped away, hastily scribbling a note on the clipboard in his hands. Edgeworth knew that Phoenix was talking to him, whispering benign words, but his voice sounded so far away…

* * *

The blank document flickered almost mockingly at Edgeworth from the bright computer screen. The man blinked tiredly, rubbing his red-rimmed eyes and he stared back at the legal papers beside him on the desk. He could read the words, but they all flew over his head; nothing felt like it made sense anymore, but he had to finish this case file before the weekend was over.

'_I don't have a choice, do I…?_'

The house felt strangely empty without Pess in it, even if Phoenix and Trucy still lived with him. But Phoenix and his daughter were constantly on the move as of late—Trucy had been spending a startling amount of time with that young defense attorney (Edgeworth couldn't be bothered to remember the kid's name—it was something strange, he recalled) and Phoenix kept himself well out of Edgeworth's way by making frequent visits to that noodle stand downtown.

Edgeworth sat in a pensive trance, the document still winking at him. '_I'll never get this damn thing done…_'

There was a faint knock at the door of the office. When Edgeworth made no move to respond, it opened and Phoenix poked his head around the corner. '_Well, speak of the devil…_'

"Hey, Edgeworth," Phoenix said, sidling in and closing the door softly. "Are you hungry? Want something to eat?"

Edgeworth did nothing but stare at the bright monitor.

"Come on, Edgeworth. Please…I don't like seeing you like this."

"You wouldn't be saying that if I killed _your_ dog."

Phoenix winced and drew back sharply. "Hey, now…"

Edgeworth finally glanced up from the word document and saw Phoenix leaning against the door, his face awash in the eerie, white light of the monitor. Edgeworth felt a brief pang of shame at the look of remorse on his friend's face.

"…I apologize," he said quietly. "That was uncalled for."

Phoenix flicked a light on, and Edgeworth had to blink to adjust to the sudden glow of the overhead lamp. "No, it's fine. I deserved that," Phoenix said, sinking into the leather armchair across from the wooden desk. "Listen, Edgeworth…I know I've said this at least a thousand times before, but I'm really sorry. I…hate myself for letting that happen to Pess. I know how important he was to you."

Edgeworth silently traced an invisible line across the gleaming desktop with the tip of his finger. "I didn't have high hopes for that mutt when you brought him home, but…" He hesitated and took a breath to collect himself. "That dog _was_ important in the end. Very important."

Phoenix glanced down at his sandaled feet. "I'm so-"

"Don't apologize so many times, Wright. I know you're sorry, and…I forgive you."

Phoenix's head snapped up so quickly that the blue beanie on his head nearly flipped off. "Edgeworth…?"

"I know what happened wasn't _entirely_ your fault—although you were probably being careless when Pess escaped—so…I forgive you. This isn't an easy thing for me to do, and I wouldn't forgive anyone else as easily as I would you."

Phoenix smiled cautiously. "Well, I'm honored."

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "'Honored'?"

"You said you don't forgive people that easily, but you forgave me. I still feel terrible about what happened, but…thanks, Edgey. I mean it."

Edgeworth sighed and pushed himself to his feet. "I…It's fine. I don't really want to discuss Pess for a while, so…"

Phoenix stood and walked around the desk, clapping a hand on Edgeworth's shoulder. "I've got it, no problem." He was grinning so earnestly that Edgeworth couldn't help the small smirk that spread reluctantly over his lips.

Phoenix noticed, to his dismay, and wrapped his arms around Edgeworth's shoulders, pressing his face against the man's neck. "See, Edgey? You've still got me, and I promise I won't run out in the street."

"You're pushing it, Wright."

Phoenix smiled. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm just saying…"

Edgeworth's arms moved slowly around Phoenix's form. "I…understand. Thank you, Wright," he murmured. "Thank you for everything."


End file.
